This is breathtaking in its scope, but I have to say I don't think Whistle Stop or Not in Nottingham fit on the table as placed. A case could be made for the latter based on the category description, but that's thin. Whistle Stop outsources introducing the movie to the visuals.
I suppose if you argue that the songs, as storytelling devices, are inextricable from their animated contexts, then it's not that Whistle Stop's scatted and hummed lyrics introduce the movie, but its spoken and animated sequence does.
...okay, after watching the video montage for "drug songs" I am convinced. This is taking not just the content of the lyrics and position within the film chronologically and narratively into account, but also visuals into account as part of the song's content.
E.g., there is nothing particularly psychedelic about "Sing, Sweet Nightingale" if you are just listening to the song, but on screen, Cinderella is singing in harmony with her reflections in soap bubbles.
Objection withdrawn. I understand the system now.
Objection withdrawn. I understand the system now.
Still not convinced that Not in Nottingham is doing the same kind of work as You'll Be In My Heart or Good Company.
I think Justin has, for the sake of getting 18 categories, combined "rock bottom/darkest before the dawn" songs with another category based on superficial traits.
I think Justin has, for the sake of getting 18 categories, combined "rock bottom/darkest before the dawn" songs with another category based on superficial traits.
Some of the songs in that category come at a low point in the movie, which *must* be a turning point only because things can't get much worse. Most of those songs express a hopefulness (but not in Not in Nottingham) but you don't have to define the category based on that.
Others are wistful without really being about that or serving the same narrative purpose... if you want to put them all in one category, "Wistful Thinking" might be better. Happy, sad, hopeful... they all are wistful and reflective.
Multiple people suggesting it's more "Here's Our Deal" and I get that. I also get why Justin mightn't have thought it belonged there based on its emotional key.
(Which is their deal.)
(Which is their deal.)
I don't know. This might be nitpicky. Roger Miller's performance conveys a soulful yearning for things to be okay even if Alan-a-Dale can't believe it in the moment. I feel like the "doubt" line in the category was put there partly to paper this over.
But I think the bigger problem is that even if you move "Not in Nottingham" to another column it doesn't change that this category is overly broadly constructed in service of the punchline of the periodic table.
Which raises the question of "Well, AE, how would you arrange the entire Disney animated songbook into a periodic table?" and the answer is that I wouldn't. It would never occur to me to try and I would have given up long before finishing.
This kind of taxonomy is always going to be arbitrary and subjective even when you aren't building towards an unrelated external structure like an alignment chart or horoscopes or a periodic table of elements.
On that light, Justin doesn't have to justify his choice because it was necessary that he make one, and it was always going to be "wrong" in at least one way.
But he has clearly thought way too hard about this, and I honor his effort by doing the same.
But he has clearly thought way too hard about this, and I honor his effort by doing the same.
